The Bodyguard
by BeMyLast
Summary: This is a story of a many things. A story of friendship… a story of heroes… a story of lies… but above all else, a story of great misfortune and sadness that plagued a man. M-LG.M-interactions.Violence.Sexual themes.
1. Flower girl, your smile is all I want

_Author's Notes: This story will consist of chapters of certain scenes set during FINAL FANTASY VII. It's not a full out novelization but it will be a in-depth look to certain moments.  
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_It has mature language, mature scenes, and violence. I hope you enjoy._**_  
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><p>This is a story of a <em>many<em> things. A story of _friendship_… a story of _heroes_… a story of _lies_… but above all else, a story of great misfortune and sadness that could never be healed—

On a cold December day Cloud Strife, a man completely unbound by principles and emotions, found himself walking down a random debris cluttered and dirty street in a concrete jungle known as Midgar— a city with dark temptations, where sunlight is _never _seen. A city where men look out for themselves and _no one else_… a city where innocence is destroyed and peace is _never _near.

Cloud watched his surroundings carefully, making sure there wasn't any Soldiers following him. Why were they after him? Oddly enough today wasn't just a normal winter day, it was December 9th, the very first day Cloud worked alongside a rebel group called AVALANCHE. This rebel group was fighting against the greedy corporation Shinra that was draining the planet of its life source to use as an energy source for the city and world, this energy is known as Mako. Cloud was told the information by AVALANCHE's leader, Barret Wallace. However, as much as Barret tried, he couldn't get Cloud to show any sympathy for their cause or for the people that were endangered… or even the planet for that matter. (Little did Barret or AVALANCHE know that sap stories such as this were the _last_ thing on Cloud's mind) However, being a mercenary, Cloud accepted the job to destroy a mako reactor and in return he would receive his pay… and after, he would leave and undoubtedly never return to the group.

However, things were about to change for Cloud… his world was about to be flipped…

After finishing his first mission with the group, Cloud approached Barret, with full intentions of receiving his payment and getting the hell out before soldiers came. It was hard to hear over the sound of the raging flames(caused by a very big bomb they had just set off)so Cloud made sure to speak loud and clear; "I want to talk about my money." Barret's gaze hardened at his demand. Not more than five minutes passed from the bomb going off and the first thing on Cloud's mind was his pay… Barret couldn't help but think how much of an asshole this hired mercenary was—the perfect definition of a cold cased ex-soldier.

Lifting himself away from the wall he was leaning on, Barret yelled; "It can wait till we're at the rendezvous!" Before Cloud could argue, Barret and the three other members of AVALANCHE were running away from the site of the explosion. Cloud gritted his teeth, aggravation burning inside of him. Cloud was far from happy about this. He was told he would be paid after the mission… well, he finished the mission and now he wanted his damn pay. However, things seem to go the opposite of how he wanted them. Not wanting to lose out on his pay Cloud started to head for the hideout, a bar in the Seventh Sector named Seventh Heaven. As he made his way from the area he couldn't help but mutter cuss words under his breath.

The streets of Midgar were usually busy but today was especially busy. People swarmed back and forth across the pavement in hoards, trying to get away from the area before another explosion happened. As Cloud glanced through the crowd of swarming people, all he saw were scared expressions.

There were dozens of faces… all of them dark and full of anger just as much as he was… Their attitudes and motives were as dark and dirty as the cracked streets Cloud's heavy boots treaded against. Their words were lies and manipulations— Cloud knew his way around this sort of life, though—because he had slowly and gradually turned into it himself, despite not growing up here. He knew he was just as dark as the others, _unworthy of anything good_… He wasn't sure _when_ or _why_ it happened, but he was a cold, careless man that had no cares or concerns in the world. He had no home, only the random places his head would lay for the time being. He didn't have any friends and he didn't want any. Well, that is, unless you count his _childhood friend Tifa_, the girl who had _lived_ in the same town as him when he was younger she was also the hostess of the bar he was heading towards in order to get his pay. Nonetheless, he still didn't act too friendly towards even her. He wasn't as harsh as he was to others, but he definitely wasn't kind…

He glanced over the crowd again, and like a breaking wave, the crowd left an opening for a split second, and as if in slow motion, Cloud spotted a _tender_ and _beautiful_ sight unlike any he had ever seen before. Standing there, _like a lonely flower in a desert_, was a delicate woman dressed in a blush pink dress. Her long brunette hair was tied into a ribbon, a long braid dangling down her back. She held a small flower basket in her hand as she frantically looked left and right trying to figure out what all the commotion was about.

Even though he didn't particularly believe in a heaven, it was as if heaven itself was shining down on the spot _she_ was standing at in Cloud's mind. And as he soaked in her image, Cloud felt his breath leave his lungs. His cold, blue stare was locked on the woman; _fascination_ swirling in his gaze as he subconsciously began to step in her direction. Just as he stepped nearer, his dream state seemed to fade back into reality and the crowd seemed to get their regular speed back. Nonetheless, his gaze stayed on her the _entire_ time.

His eyes still locked on her, he witnessed a man run by and push the woman to the floor. She landed on her side, her basket and flowers toppled to the pavement of the debris ridden street. Cloud watched in slight shock, but the thing that caught Cloud's attention most wasn't that she _didn't_ scream with anger, _didn't_ shout cuss words or insults, her face didn't even seem to show any anger towards the man… at the most she appeared to be a little confused and worried. No, the thing that caught Cloud's attention most was how humble she remained while being treated so badly. Cloud watched in a state of awe as she looked at her flowers. Her face showed a bit of concern as she slowly stood, dusting dirt off of her ladylike dress. Cloud thought it was the most unusual thing to see a person so calm after someone treated her so rudely. He couldn't wrap his head around it…

Without realizing it, Cloud had walked so close to the girl that he had a clear view of her. Jade eyes captivated him and Cloud couldn't help but think of how amazing they were; "_… beautiful—_"

She seemed to be around his age, possibly a year older but Cloud felt as if the innocent glow in her eyes made her look younger then she was. Immediately, Cloud thought of his own eye color; the mark of Shinra—something he hated and would gladly erase…

Just then, she spoke; her voice as soft and tender as a rose; "_Excuse me, what happened?_"

For a split second Cloud couldn't speak, he was too consumed by the gentle tone in her voice. The slow dream state he was in just a few moments ago returned to his senses as his eyes darted across her face. He never saw someone so beautiful before… He was too mesmerized by her to look away— suddenly, almost as if subconsciously he murmured; "…Nothing—" his eyes never leaving her until he had to shake himself from whatever kind of dream state he was in. He paused briefly and noticed her flowers; "Don't usually see many flowers around here…"

Cloud saw the girl's worried look fade into a soft smile; "Oh _these? _Do you like them? They're only 1 gil. _Do you want one?_"

Cloud quickly bought one flower from her. He would have bought the whole damn basket if she had asked… As she handed him an Iris flower their hands touched for just a brief moment. Cloud glanced down towards her hand as her skin, as soft as a rose petal, brushed against his rough fingers. He had never touched such delicate hands before. And even though it only lasted a moment, it seemed like forever to Cloud. A forever he never wanted to let go of. Cloud felt himself being pulled to look back up at her face, catching the worried look fading into a sweet smile she was shining at him. Cloud felt himself leave his body for a brief moment as she pulled him into a world made of peace and beauty… a world he wanted to be a part of. Cloud felt the thick walls that he took so long to put around his heart _tremble_ at her smile… she shook the immovable object around Cloud's entire being –Yes, his walls were weakening_…She had disarmed him of any defense he put up with just a smile. _Cloud might have taken the flower but all he was really thinking was; _"_Flower girl, your smile is all I want._"  
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Just as quickly as he bought the flower she started her way down the street. Cloud watched breathlessly as she vanished from his sights. When he glanced down towards the flower, he recalled her sweet smile… and couldn't help but think her smile was a good purchase… _if not his favorite he ever had_.

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><p><em><em>Author's Notes: <em>Next chapter will be up soon. Please comment and fav if you read._


	2. Through Your Iris

-_Through Your Iris_-

Cloud had finished yet another damn mission with the group AVALANCHE. They had destroyed yet another Mako reactor… and also had quite the run-in with President Shinra. It was any ol' day for Cloud in the life of a mercenary working alongside a rebel group. Except, the last thing Cloud could remember was holding on to a blown out floor board of a metal bridge, trying not to fall to the city below. Thoughts of; _"…this is the end…_" flashed through his mind. But it wasn't out of him being scared to die. It was more like something he subconsciously didn't care for if it happened or not. Cloud had no real reason to care if he lived or died. The only thing he knew was the meaningless nights he'd spend with woman, the dirty games of the vicious streets of Midgar, and the cold killings of being a mercenary. Cloud fought to survive but if death happened it wasn't a frightening thought… _was it_?

It was the next day, December 10th when Cloud woke from a strange dream; and little did he know that he would wake in a _piece of heaven_…

"Oh! He moved!" a female voice continued to lure him awake; "Hello, hello…"

"_That voice…"_ it was familiar to Cloud… the blonde mercenary slowly opened his eyes. They were blurry from the fall but his vision slowly cleared, revealing a beautiful face. Brunette bangs covered around her jade eyes…small ropes of curls dangled in front of her shoulder. Cloud felt as if he was dreaming when he saw just who was waking him, "_It's the flower girl…_"

She was kneeling beside him, concern on her face and a gentle look in her eyes "Are you okay?" she asked tenderly. Despite her question, Cloud stayed quiet. All he could do was gaze at her, his mouth slightly open in awe. He felt so stupid not being able to say anything, but she was making him speechless. _What could he do_? He felt like some stupid kid not being able to say anything. He just wanted to say something… anything! Just as long as she didn't see him acting so… boyishly shy. But he couldn't help it…

Her eyes were_, once again_, captivating him against his will. Cloud would have thought he died and went to heaven, but;"_ I wouldn't get in heaven…_" The only way he knew that he was alive was _his redefined pulse through her iris_… Granting him what felt like a new life.

Her voice started out softly as she spoke making sure not to startle him; "This is a church in the sector five slums… you fell through the roof and on top of me," she playfully scrunched her nose and said in a phony mad voice; "You gave me _quite_ the scare, you know."

A boyish smile spread on Cloud's face as her innocent attitude washed over his pained soul. He had only known her for a few minutes, in yet… he already found himself fond of her playful teases and the cute way she just scrunched up her nose… even the way she smiled so easily and honestly.

However, that smile faded as Cloud realized he was staring at the pretty girl and realized how weird that must be for her. He broke eye contact. _Wait a minute_… she said he fell all that way _and lived_; "…I came crashing down?" Cloud muttered as he propped himself on his elbows and glanced around the room, it really was an old church.

"The roof and the flowerbed must have broken your fall. _You're lucky_." She said in a friendly voice. Cloud realized he was sitting in a large bed of all yellow flowers. The flowers nearest to his crash site were all damaged and pressed against the floor. "_Shit!_"

"…Flower bed…is this yours?"

Without his question being answered Cloud quickly stood up; "Sorry about that…"

The flower girl stood as well. "That's all right. The flowers here are quite resilient. It's cause this is a sacred place, I think."

Cloud watched as the girl walked around her flowers and continued to speak; "They say you can't grow flowers in Midgar. But for some reason, the flowers have no trouble blooming here. I think that's why I love it here, so much." Just as she finished speaking, she kneeled to her flowers and began to tend to them. Cloud was a little confused. Not from the fact that he just fell that far and lived, not that there was flowers growing in Midgar, but he was confused at why or how she could speak so friendly to a complete stranger.

Cloud looked to the floor, he wasn't sure if he should just leave, "_She probably wants me off of her flowers…_" he thought. Cloud tried to not ruin any more of the plants as he walked to the wooden floor. He felt like saying thank you to the flower girl but wasn't sure. He hesitantly stepped closer to her but stopped and rubbed his forehead… "_What the hell do I say now? Sorry I destroyed the way you make money…Yeah, that's fucking brilliant…_"

Cloud crossed his arms, frustrated that he didn't know what to do. He glanced at her out of the corner of his cold eyes. She was gingerly straitening the tall flowers. Her porcelain skin glowed in the warm light of the church. She was wearing a long pink dress; a small red denim bolero jacket was covering her shoulders. She had on the strangest shoes; they looked like small brown boots.

Cloud couldn't help but think of how amazing it was to have met her again, and in such a storybook way no less. Just the other day he found himself captivated by her and now he was nervous as hell about how he should speak to her. This definitely wasn't like himself. Since when did he get nervous? Shy? That sure as hell wasn't how he acted to anyone else… in yet… he felt so simplistic and awkward around her. "_She probably doesn't even notice me right now…_" he couldn't remember one time of his life where _anyone_ paid attention to him, at least the people he usually wanted to see him never seemed to. That was another one of his problems; he was always pushed aside so he decided he would push others aside before they could do it to him; it was his defense mechanism against the world. But little did Cloud know that everything he had trained himself to do to the world was slowly being stripped from him as he continued to get lost in the woman just a few feet away.

"_I'll just tell her thanks…_" Cloud told himself, trying to calm his nerves. Timidly, he walked closer to her, and a breaking sound in the floorboard caught her attention; "…So, we meet again." the girl stood and paused as she turned to face him; "You probably don't remember me…" she hid her hands behind her back and looked to the floor.

"No—" Cloud mumbled. Why did he say that? That wasn't true. He remembered her completely! From the look of her eyes to the way she smiled. In a matter of fact, never has he remembered someone so vividly before. He closed his eyes in thought for a brief moment and tried to sort his thoughts. He spoke slowly, making sure he didn't mess up or lose his cool in front of her. "…I mean, yeah. I remember you. You were the girl selling flowers the other day."

She threw her hands in front of her mouth and giggled; "Oh, I'm so happy!" her hand moved over her heart; "Thank you for buying my flowers." Her pink lips formed into a soft smile and Cloud had to avert his gaze because he knew he was staring at her again. All of a sudden Cloud saw her lean forward, her hands clasped behind her back. She tilted her head to speak; "Say, do you have any materia?" It was clear to Cloud she was trying to break the ice. And luckily, it was about something he knew. "Yes, some. Anyone can find it pretty much anywhere."

"But mine is special. It's good for absolutely nothing." She laughed.

"…good for nothing?" Cloud repeated, bewildered at the statement.

"You probably just don't know how to use it." Cloud paused briefly and moved towards her, holding his hand out as if to ask to see the materia as he finished his sentence; "I can—" Before Cloud could finish offering his help the girl interrupted him, half giggling; "No, I do… it just doesn't do anything. I just feel safe having it… it was my mother's…" she looked skyward then back at Cloud. "Say, I feel like talking more. Do you?" her lips formed a bright smile; "After all, here we are meeting again, right?"

Cloud nodded at her kind gesture. He knew he had to be going but; "_It won't slow me down to talk for a minute…_" was what he told himself in order to make an excuse to stay longer in this what seemed like a piece of heaven. His reply made the girl happy, "Okay, wait here. I've gotta check my flowers; it will only be a minute, I promise!" she skipped over to her flowers and started to tend to them a little more. And Cloud watched for a moment. She looked so ethereal tending to flowers… Cloud found himself fighting a smile from forming on his face. For a split second, Cloud felt happiness tug at his lips, forming a weak smile but as soon as he realized it he shook the expression off of his face, his stern expression returning. Then, suddenly, she stood abruptly; "Oh! I don't think we know each other's names do we?"

As soon as her words reached Cloud's ears, he felt a sense of embarrassment as he remembered that they _didn't_ know each other's names; "_Fuck…_" he felt like such an idiot for forgetting something as basic as that!

She leaned back down to Cloud like how she did before and said; "My name is Aerith. I'm a flower girl."

"…_Aerith_…" Cloud repeated in awe. He thought her name matched _exactly _how she looked and acted; innocent, beautiful, and unlike anyone else. Living in the city brought many _temptations_—_women_ being one of the major of them all. And Cloud had heard plenty of women's names…but none were as beautiful as hers.

"The name's Cloud. Me?" he paused, not sure whether or not he should tell her he's a mercenary; _"…that'd probably scare her…_" he decided against telling her _exactly_ what he does for a living; "I…" he paused again then continued; "…do a little bit of _everything_."

"Oh…" Aerith began, "…_a jack of all trades_."

"Yeah, I do whatever's needed." A soft giggle rolled off of Aerith's tongue. Cloud couldn't help but wonder why she was laughing. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Sorry….. I just…" she was interrupted as she saw Cloud's gaze locked with something behind her. She turned to see a red haired man wearing a messy tux standing in the church door. Cloud moved toward the strange person, stopping next to Aerith. She had a worried look on her face; _"…she's scared of him…?_" he thought as he took in the worry on her face.

"Cloud…" the sound of her voice saying his name pulled him to look at her; "Have you ever been a bodyguard? You said you do everything, right?"

Cloud smoothed his blonde locks back in a calm motion; "Yeah, that's right." he stayed on guard as he spoke in case the stranger at the door decided to try something stupid. "Then will you get me out of here and take me home?" she pleaded softly. Cloud crossed his arms and thought about it. There was no way in hell he was going to leave her here alone with this guy hassling her... but, Cloud wasn't one to do something for free. Even though he was more than willing to protect for nothing at all, he still had to try for _something_...

"Okay, I'll do it…" he paused slightly, "…_but it'll cost you_." A weak smirk spread on his face as he hoped she would agree. Cloud, being the man he was, couldn't help thinking about _being _with her. He noticed the _curve_ of her hips, the shape of her pink lips—her eyes were the most breathtaking his own ever saw. And she was _definitely_ the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, that's for sure... so, why not? The flower girl might have had him shy and awkward before but he was feeling more brave now.

Aerith bit her lip before saying; "Well, then, let's see…" she placed her finger on her chin, clicking it against her skin until an idea popped into her mischievous mind; "How about if I go out with you once?" Thinking she had come up with the flirty idea first.

Cloud was hoping she would say _something_ along those lines… "_Close enough_." He thought as he quickly nodded his head and immediately confronted the man with red hair.

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><p><em><span>Author's Notes:<span> Okay... I know Cloud was... a bit... what's the word... reduced to a mushy ball of shyness as he met her this time. But, honestly, I feel as though that's what happened. He wanted to remain calm, cool, and collected but on the inside he was getting weak-kneed for her. And yes. Cloud was having some steamy intentions with his "it'll cost you" comment. He knew exactly what he wanted from her. _

_Next chapter will be up tomorrow.  
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	3. They're After me!

Cloud stood, guarding Aerith as he spoke to the red haired man. "Look, I don't know who you are, but…" Out of nowhere, Cloud felt a stab of pain in his head and a white noise drifted through his ears. He suddenly knew who the red haired man was; "…I…do know you. Your uniform…"

Three soldiers ran into the church and readied themselves for battle. Cloud's eyes widened when he saw the Shinra soldiers. He mentally kicked himself for dragging them to Aerith's church. They wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. He must have been seen by someone. Cloud muttered under his breath; "They've found me!" but at the same time he spoke he heard Aerith exclaim frantically; "They've found me!"

Cloud turned to look at Aerith, curiously shocked at what she had said. They locked eye contact and he saw that Aerith's face looked just as shocked at what he said as he was towards her. In unison, the bodyguard and the flower girl both shouted in half belief; "They're after you?" Neither understood why the other would be chased by Shinra.

The red haired man lifted his hand to gesture to Cloud; "…This one's pretty weird." then one of the soldiers spoke; "Reno! Want him taken out?"

Reno examined Cloud; "I haven't decided yet."

Realizing her flowers could be destroyed; Aerith ran to the back exit of the church; "Don't fight here! You'll ruin the flowers!" Her shout caused Cloud to look at her. Her eyes seemed to beg him not to fight here. Cloud couldn't say no.

Cloud sighed and followed Aerith to the back of the church. Once in the back area, Cloud saw that it was three floors high. A large Shinra missile was crashed into the center of the building, leaving gaping holes on the roof and floorboards. Cloud spotted a staircase leading to the roof; he quickly took Aerith's arm and climbed it until a break in the walkway stopped them.

Just then, Reno and his small group of Soldiers ran in; "There they are, up there!"

Cloud pulled Aerith down low, dodging some bullets zipping past their bodies; "Looks like they aren't going to let us go."

"What should we do, then?"

"We can't let them catch us, can we? That leaves one thing."

Quickly, Cloud jumped across the large gap in the floor and motioned for Aerith to follow; "Aerith! This way!"

The flower girl looked down through the hole, it was so high up, there's no way she could jump and make it. She shook her head, fear in her eyes. Cloud sighed but understood, "_She probably couldn't make the jump anyway…_"

"The ancient is getting away!" called a soldier.

"…_Ancient?" _Cloud repeated. Did they just call her an Ancient? Hearing some more bullets ring through the air, Cloud pushed the thought aside, and dealt with their situation at hand.

"Okay, look, I'll hold them off. Just stay low so they can't shoot at y—" Cloud was interrupted as Reno ordered his men to shoot towards Aerith. She dived to the floor, dodging the bullets. Cloud was relieved for a moment when he saw that she didn't get shot but fear washed over him as he saw that she missed the floor when she dove down. Without even thinking about it, Cloud quickly outstretched his hand to grab her but she was out of reach;

"Aerith!" Cloud screamed, his lungs shouting louder than ever before.

Cloud watched in shock as he saw Aerith crash to the floor and not move. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a soldier moving closer to her; "_Come on, get up!_" he pleaded to himself. A few seconds went by but it felt like years to Cloud as he waited on edge for her to sit up and show him she was okay. Suddenly, he saw Aerith slowly sit up, her hand on her side; "_She's okay…_" a wave of relief washed over Cloud.

"Cloud, help!" Aerith's voice was hoarse as she called out for her bodyguard to help her. Cloud was happy to see her okay but he couldn't exactly _jump_ to her defense from way up here; "Damn!"

Cloud frantically looked around. Above him were rafters with four big barrels. "_Perfect!_" Without hesitation, he climbed up to the rafters and just as a guard was closing in around Aerith, Cloud shoved the barrel off; toppling the soldier to the floor.

Aerith stood and ran with a limp to the stair case but another man was heading after her. Cloud quickly ran to another barrel and tossed it over the side, knocking the soldier down the stairs. He could hear Aerith shout; "Sorry!" as the man rolled down the stairs.

_"…She's actually apologizing to them? They're trying to kill her?_"

Despite the hectic situation Cloud felt the urge to smile at her, but he brushed away the thoughts and stayed serious. A few seconds passed and she made it back to the edge of the gap and was nearly shot at. Cloud was luckily near a last barrel. He kicked the barrel down, watching it fall on top of the soldier, knocking the machine gun out of the soldier's hands, saving Aerith from the shots. The flower girl stepped back, readying herself to jump over the hole; "_There's no way she can make that…_"

Just as Aerith was about to make her leap, Cloud knelt on the rafters above her and outstretched his hands towards Aerith, "Up here!" Cloud shouted, gaining her attention.

"Gimme your hand." the blonde shouted again. Aerith hesitated and looked at Cloud's hand. Unsure why, Cloud detected the girl was either unsure of him or just afraid.

"You don't have to fear me," Cloud murmured firmly, trying to convince her to take his hand. Aerith's gaze locked with Cloud for a brief moment, and she saw honesty in his eyes. Suddenly, Cloud heard Reno shouting for his soldiers to get up and hurry after Aerith and he knew they couldn't waste any longer. "Aerith, take my hand!"

Aerith reached for Cloud's hand just as a bullet zipped past her body and Cloud snatched her hand in his own, getting a firm grip around her wrist and hand as he used his strength to lift her up towards him. Lucky for him, Aerith didn't weigh more than 115 pounds and lifting her delicate frame was more than easy. It took no more than a few seconds for Cloud to pull her to safety. Not wasting a moment's time, he took her hand in his own and lifted her to her feet and hurried to the top of the church through the gaping hole in the roof.

Once in safety, Cloud heard Aerith speak through broken breaths. "Ha, ha… they're after me again."

"…_after you_? This isn't the first time they've chased you like this?"

"…No."

Cloud felt his mouth go agape as he watched the dainty flower girl act as if this was nothing strange. "You do know who that was right? He was a part of the Turks."

Aerith playfully tapped her finger against her chin as if she was thinking; "Hmmm…"

"What do you mean '_hmm_'? They're an organization from Shinra and you're only reaction is 'hmm'?"

"This violently? I was sure they were kidnapping someone…"

Cloud rubbed the back of his neck and sighed; "Well, they also do a lot of dirty and dangerous shit on the side. Spying, kidnapping, murder…"

She wrapped her hands around herself; "They definitely look like it, that's for sure."

"But—why are they after you?"

"I'm not sure… I think they probably think I have what it takes to be in Soldier." Aerith couldn't help but giggle at her claim.

"_Someone like her? Yeah, right…_"

"Well, do you want to join?" Cloud had no idea why he asked such a stupid question. She was interested in flowers not joining Soldier!

Her bangs brushed against her eyes as she shook her head; "Not really. All I know is I do _not_ want to be caught by people like _them_." Cloud noticed her usual happy jade eyes had softened and grew full of worry and he felt a tug in his chest. Cloud didn't really understand _why_ the Turks were after her but he was sure it was bad news for her. _"…I gotta take her home…she could get caught_…"

Cloud sat up and outstretched his hand to her; "Well, let's go, then." Cloud was pleased that he could at least walk her home, it gave him a chance to try and get to know her a little more, after all, he was promised a date by her.

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><p><em><span>Author's notes:<span> Gar, gar, gar, gar, gar. Secret parallel in there. Kudos goes to whomever figures it out first! Next chapter up tomorrow.  
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	4. A Rare Smile

-A Rare Smile-

Heading away from the church; Cloud and Aerith made their way over many rooftops and pieces of debris. Without realizing it, Cloud had traveled too far ahead of Aerith, leaving her behind. "Wait… wait!" Cloud heard a worn out and tired voice call out to him. He came to a slow stop and checked behind his back and saw Aerith femininely judging each gap as she jumped across them. "_She's really that girly…_"

As soon as she was near Cloud's side, she knelt to catch her breath; she puffed and wheezed; "Slow… down… Don't leave me…"

Cloud crossed his arms and teasingly mocked her; "Funny…" she looked up at him as he added; "I thought you were cut out to be in Soldier?"

Aerith sat up and playfully pouted; "Oh! You're terrible!"

And for the first time in a long time, Cloud broke into a laugh. Aerith's giggles combing with his soft chuckles. He didn't know why he laughed, but something about the girl just lightened his soul. He couldn't remember the last time anyone was able to make him laugh… it was a strange feeling to Cloud but not a bad one. The Flower girl couldn't help but notice his smile; it was boyish and handsome, a lot different than his usual stiff upper lip.

"Hey…Cloud. Were you ever in Soldier?"

Cloud's smile faded; "…I use to be… How'd you guess?"

"You're eyes. They have a glow to them…"

"That's the sign of someone that's been infused with Mako… but, how did you know about that?"

"I don't know…" Aerith hid her hands behind her back timidly.

"You…_don't know_?" that had to be a lie… it's not like she could have just guessed Cloud thought.

"Right! Come on, let's go Bodyguard!" Instead of asking her again, he sighed and continued on their way.

Cloud and Aerith walked for a few minutes and finally reached a dirt covered road. "Whew! Finally, made it off. My house is over here. Let's hurry!"

"Her house?" Cloud repeated to himself. She was _actually_ taking him to her house… where they were going to be _alone_. Cloud was suddenly untrusting of himself. He didn't want to hurt her or make a move on her, but… what could he do? He decided that he would just walk her to her door and say goodbye and that was it.

The two started their way through the Sector 5 slums. At first there wasn't much conversation, only the sound of their footsteps. Cloud wasn't really sure what to talk about or even if he should… He glanced at Aerith out of the corner of his eye; she was watching the floor, her face seemed to say she was thinking about something, but what?

Cloud felt his mind wonder back to what had happened earlier. "…_Why were they following her…?_" Cloud shook off the thought and blankly walked ahead. His steps were heavy and treaded against the floor with a loud shuffling sound. Aerith's steps were light, so light they couldn't even be heard.

Suddenly, the playful flower girl realized that both were just walking quietly. A mischievous smile spread across Aerith's face and she playfully started imitating his movements. The way his arms swung, the weight he pushed down as he stepped. She even imitated his stern facial expression, _of course not as good_, though. After a few seconds Cloud had caught sight of what she was doing; _"…What the? Is she imitating me?_" He peered at her, not sure if what he was thinking she was doing was correct. He stopped to see if she would copy him and she stopped, too. He walked a few steps, Aerith following suit, her movements matching his exactly. He stopped again, Aerith immediately stopping alongside him.

"_Why is she doing that?_" Cloud didn't know why she was imitating him but he didn't care because she looked cute doing it. He felt a weak smile tug at the corner of his lips but stiffened his stern expression. He noticed her happy expression was trying to appear more stiff or more angry like his, but how _un_convincing it was made it too hard for Cloud to fight the smile battling to win over his face. However, he managed to quickly straighten his expression. Cloud further examined if she really was imitating him by swinging his arms in front him, catching one of his hands in his fist then dropping it back to swing again—repeating this action. He glanced over at the brunette woman. She was doing the _exact _thing he was. But Aerith hadn't noticed he knew what she was doing yet. He crossed his arms and she did too. Yes… Cloud knew now for sure that Aerith was imitating him.

Suddenly, Cloud, the cold mercenary, couldn't hide the smile on his face now. He didn't know exactly what possessed her to spark a game like this, but he enjoyed it. The two continued this game, not letting the other know they knew of the copy-cat game they were playing. After walking for a few minutes they eventually arrived at a small cottage hidden away next to a waterfall. It had a huge garden of flowers surrounding the entire area.

"This is it." She chimed happily as she gestured to her house with her hands.

Cloud was completely _dumbfounded_. He wasn't used to seeing houses like _that_ in Midgar. He was expecting it to be like all the other houses in Midgar… destroyed and dirty. "_Flowers must sell good."_ He thought.

Cloud was about to follow her inside but thought of how weird it would be to be alone with her in her house. He didn't completely trust himself to not try and kiss her. He hesitated to enter until she said; "Aren't you coming?" he looked up at her. She was standing with her hands behind her back, lightly twisting her body left and right. Cloud suddenly found himself unable to keep himself away from her._"…it won't matter if I just talk for a few minutes…_"

As soon as they arrived inside the house Aerith called out; "Mom, I'm home!"

"_Mom?_" Cloud abruptly looked at Aerith, confusion and shock written on his face; "_Her mom lives here?_" Cloud backed up against the door nervously as her mother, Elmyra, walked in.

"Mom, this is Cloud, my bodyguard."

The woman walked closer to Aerith; "Bodyguard…? You mean you were followed again? You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, mom, I'm all right. I had Cloud with me." Elmyra glanced past Aerith and looked over Cloud; "Thank you, Cloud." Her voice was stern as if she was weary of him. Elmyra turned and went upstairs, leaving the two alone. Aerith spun around to face Cloud; "So, what are you going to do now?" The blonde crossed his arms and leaned against a counter. Well, there goes having any alone time with Aerith Cloud thought. He sighed lightly and answered her; "…Is sector seven far from here? I gotta head to a bar owned by someone named Tifa."

Despite them just meeting Aerith had to wonder whether or not there was a relationship between the two, after all, she did promise him a date; "Is Tifa…_a girl_?"

Cloud nodded at her question. "A girl…_friend_?" she whispered playfully.

"_What? Girlfriend? Why the hell would she think that…_" Cloud quickly shook his head and said; "No way." A flirty smile appeared on Aerith's face as she giggle; "Okay, okay." She moved closer to Cloud, their bodies just a short distance apart due to the small kitchen space.

"Well, let's see… Sector 7… I can show you the way."

Cloud closed his eyes and gestured with his hand for her to stay; "You gotta be kidding me. Why do you want to put yourself in danger again?"

"I'm used to it." A proud smile was on her face as if it was normal for a girl like her to be involved in danger. _"…She's just a girl… how the hell could she be used to danger?_"

"Used to it?" his brow forwarded as he concentrated a serious stare on her. The stern look in her eyes told Cloud she didn't mind being in danger so he changed the subject; "Besides, getting help from a girl…"

Aerith puffed out her cheeks and put her hands on her hips; "A girl? What do you mean by THAT?" she crossed her arms and added; "I am definitely going to help now, that's for sure." Before Cloud could protest any further Aerith shouted; "Mom! I'm taking Cloud to sector 7! I'll be back in a while." As Aerith moved towards the door Elmyra hurried down the stairs.

"But dear—I give up! You never listen once your mind is set on something. But if you must go, please do it early tomorrow. It's getting late…"

"I don't know, mom. I could be back in a while."

"But Aerith, those men could hurt you." Elmyra's voice was shaky, Cloud saw the worry in Elmyra's eyes and decided to jump in; "Aerith, I agree with your mom. It's late and you'd have to walk back alone. Which would defeat the purpose of me being your bodyguard."

Aerith nodded at the points brought up. "Okay, you're right."

"Good. Aerith will you go make the guest bed?"After Aerith was upstairs Elmyra turned to Cloud; "That glow in your eyes…you're from Soldier, right?"

"I used to be…" Cloud said in a low voice, half ashamed of his background.

Elmyra crossed her arms; "I'm not sure how to say this, but… Would you please leave here, tonight? without telling Aerith?"

Cloud understood why her mother would want him gone; "…_I'm dangerous…_" Cloud wasn't one for the drama and figured it'd be best if he did leave. Not to mention, he was growing fond of Aerith and he wouldn't ever want to drag her into danger. He nodded and headed up stairs. Aerith showed him into the guest room and turned to say; "We'll need to go through sector 6 to get to 7. But it's pretty dangerous in sector 6 so you should get rest."

Aerith stood in the door way; "Cloud…" he turned to look at her as she finished; "_Good night_." She shut the door behind her and left Cloud alone. Cloud dropped his arms; "_Oh, man…_" He couldn't lie…he was _attracted_ to her. _Who wouldn't be_? But because her mom asked him to leave, Cloud couldn't help but see their situation as…_impossible_. "_She probably has a guy anyway…_" Reluctant to leave, Cloud waited for a few hours to go by but he ended up dozing off to sleep.

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><p><em>Author: Thanks for all the reviews guys! I hope you like this chapter. It's short but the next one will be up tomorrow too!<em>


	5. Another Man's Trash

Chapter 5:

Another Man's Trash...

It was early the next day, December 11th, when Cloud woke from his sleep. _"…Shit…I fell asleep…_" He quickly got out of the bed and walked to the door, listening for anyone awake down the hall. It was silent. _"…Good, I can make it to Sector 7 by myself…_" Cloud realized that doing this was better for everyone...

Silently, Cloud stepped down the stairs making sure to not make even one sound. Cloud's shoulder brushed against the wall of the stairs, knocking around a few picture frames, catching Cloud's attention. Unintentionally, Cloud glanced at one, not meaning to take a look at who it was. But what he saw did catch his attention. They were pictures of Aerith at different ages. Some were of her younger. Then there were the few pictures of Aerith when she was a late teen. She looked just as innocent then as she did now. Cloud couldn't help but notice how _normal_ of a life she appeared to be living. It was proving more and more to Cloud that leaving without her was the best thing to do for her. Sighing, Cloud finished his way down the stairs and out of the house, without alarming anyone.

As he made his way through the small sector he attempted to convince himself that this was the best thing he could do. He did enjoy their time together but her mother was right. It was better Cloud left someone as kind as her alone. Not only could she get hurt by just being around him but he wasn't sure if he wouldn't end up hurting himself. And Cloud knew from the second she smiled at him that he did not want her to get hurt by others…or by himself. He was being chased by Shinra solders... he wouldn't allow himself to involve her in the dangerous missions he was apart of.

Cloud was so lost in thought he hadn't noticed that someone walked up to his side. A soft voice startled him; "You're up bright and early." It was Aerith. Cloud turned around reluctantly and saw that she was giving him a stern glare. without wasting any time Cloud began his explanation; "How could I ask you to go along when I knew it would be dangerous?"

Aerith crossed her arms, "Finished?" and Cloud grew quiet. He didn't seem at all unfazed by the fact that a woman just silenced him."You have to go through the slum just down this way… I'll take you there. Come on!"Cloud moved to grab her but she was already gone.

"_Why does she want to go through this crap…_"

Cloud quickly ran after her, pulling her back to look at him, a sense of frustration in his voice. "Aerith, you have to go back. I already involved you more than I wanted to and I'm not going to drag you into it any more than I already have. Now, _go home_."

Aerith scrunched her nose. "Well, excuse me for trying to help you." Aerith moved out of Cloud's grasp and he watched in awe as she continued down the demolished highway.

"I'm your bodyguard. Not the other way around." Cloud hollered. His shout caused Aerith to spin and look at him.

"All the more reason why you should be up _here with me_. This is a dangerous area, _remember_?" she continued down the broken road unfazed by any possibility that she could be in harms way. Shaking his head Cloud spoke abruptly, "Just wait a second…" he walked to her side, making haste so that she would not go on without him any further; "Look, there's gotta be some way I can make you stay?"

"Nope." She hummed.

"Why?" Cloud raised an eyebrow. "…_I like to help_." Aerith averted her gaze from his and turned to walk ahead, leaving Cloud behind. "_She likes to…help?_" Cloud couldn't remember the last person he met that "_liked_" to help.

Cloud was pulled from his thoughts as she added in a calm but flirty voice; "…Plus, _you said you couldn't accept help from a girl_. Did you think I was just gonna let you get away with that, bodyguard?" Cloud felt a weak smirk spread on his face at her spunkieness. He knew that very moment that she wasn't going to take no as for an answer. Although this wasn't in his plan... Cloud went ahead with her.

After a few minutes of walking down the Midgar highway, Cloud and Aerith ran into a break in a bridge that they were traveling on. "Well, now what?" Aerith mumbled as she stepped closer to the edge of the broken road. Just as their attentions were brought onto the scenery of the destroyed path, suddenly, the floor beneath Aerith started to crumble. Just as she was about to slip down the steep fall, Cloud swiftly pulled her body back towards his, saving the flower girl from the tumble. Her face was against his chest, her eyes shut tightly. Aerith couldn't help but notice his tight chest muscles and she felt her cheeks grow hot.

She looked up at him as he asked her, "You okay?" a concerned tone lingering on his voice. She blinked and gawked at his steel blue eyes, her dark lashes fanning over her jade gaze girlishly. She hadn't been that close to a man since her first love. She wasn't very experienced with the opposite sex and she couldn't help but feel a sense of timidness when a handsome man held her so closely like the way Cloud was doing now.

Still in her bodyguard's arms, she asked him his age; "How old are you?" Cloud answered despite thinking her question was random; "21… you?"

"How old do you think I am?"

"Probably younger than me… _your eyes_… they make you seem younger…"

Aerith smiled, something in her was happy to find out that he was paying attention to her enough to notice something like her eyes. She quickly answered his question a smile on her face, "I'm 22." Cloud was surprised at her age. She was only a little older than him but she looked so innocent. Cloud glanced across her face; her eyes caught his attention _again_… They were unlike any other he ever saw before. They were so vibrant and held a sense of softness within them. Everytime he looked upon them he felt himself being pulled by something, as if there was a puzzel within himself and the more he looked at her he felt himself inch closer to the answer. He didn't understand how he could have a feeling of knowing there was an answer... but not even knowing what the answer was for... or even what the answer was. All he knew was that he felt like she was the answer. There was something mysterious about this girl, and every second he spent locked in the chast embrace of her gaze he realized he wanted to find out.

He opened his mouth to speak when all of sudden he saw a monster charging towards them. Ready to fight, Cloud quickly dodged the beast. Rolling down the broken pathway of the bridge, Aerith locked securely in his arms. He attempted to shield her body with his by holding her close to himself as Aerith dug her fingers into his blue shirt, terror running through her veins.

Eventually, they came to a slow stop at the end of the drop off. Cloud was on top of her, shielding her body. He winced as he lifted his head a few inches above hers. She had her arms around his body and she wasn't letting go. "Aerith, are you all right?" She hesitantly moved her face from his chest. He was gazing at her, a rare tender look in his eyes.

Aerith shook her head, "Yes, I'm fine." Cloud stood and helped Aerith to her feet. He had a few cuts and scrapes on his arms but he didn't seem to notice them. "Come on, let's go before more—" Cloud stopped and nudged Aerith out of the way as another monster charged towards them. A howl escaping it as it lunged forward. As soon as Cloud saw it he had picked up a long iron pole and just as the beast came close enough he stabbed it with the sharp end, twisting it deeper into the monster's chest. Almost as soon as the rod pierced its chest the beast's body broke away to dust and disappeared. Cloud made sure there weren't any more before dropping the rusty weapon and kneeling towards Aerith, who was crouching to the floor. "It's all right, it's gone." Aerith looked up at him. She slowly stood and looked around, it was really gone. "That was scary." the tone in her voice indicated that she wasn't the least bit scared. She dusted herself off and flashed Cloud a smile; "Thanks bodyguard." She noticed the cuts on his body and her face went pale; "You're hurt!"

Cloud looked at his arm; a huge gash was cut into his skin; "It's okay—neither of us have any cure materia—"

"No it's not. Here sit down for a second…" Aerith kneeled on the floor and patted beside her, hinting for him to sit down. Cloud stared at her in bewilderment, a look in his eyes as if to tell Aerith that he wasn't at all fazed by his battle wounds and didn't need any looking after. "I'm not moving until you let me help you." Aerith firmly made her statement as she crossed her arms and peered up at Cloud. Reluctantly, Cloud sighed and took a spot beside her. _Why argue_? He felt her hand hover above his arm. "Now... promise you won't freak out, okay?" she peered into the blue of his eyes.

"I Promise."

Aerith smiled at his promise and touched her hand against his skin. He watched, not sure what she was doing. Her eyes were closed in concentration.

"What are you—" just as he was asking he felt a soothing sensation move over the cut. Before his own eyes, Cloud watched as his wound disappeared in only a few seconds _just_ from her touch. "_How did she—_"Cloud couldn't understand how she was able to heal his wound without any cure magic, no one could ever do that. He peered at her, not taking his eyes off of her as she looked up at him. "There, all better!" she said smiling.

While her expression was one of happiness, Cloud's was more like a look of perplexion and amazment all in one. "How the hell did you just heal my cut without any materia?"

Aerith shrugged and answered in a calm tone; "I don't need materia."

"_How is that possible?" _Was it normal for her to heal without materia? Cloud couldn't think of any way that a normal person could do something like that. He had so many questions running rampant through his mind that he didn't know which one to ask first. He felt like asking her how she managed to heal him... and then he remembered she made him promise to no overreact about it and he wasn't about to break that no matter how astonishing it was.

Although Cloud was intrigued by her ability he could sense that she wasn't exactly fond of people knowing this about her. He quickly stood, and held out his hand to help her up. As Cloud lifted her to a standing position he said to her; "You know, whatever that just was-it's pretty kick ass."

Aerith blushed at his comments. "You think so?" Cloud watched her strike up her thoughtful pose, her finger clicking against her chin as if she were deep in thought.

"Yeah-I mean, I've never seen anyone that could do that." Aerith broke her thoughtful pose to gaze at her bodyguard just in time to see him say to her with a weak smile; "_You're._..it's pretty amazing." Cloud hoped the girl hadn't of taken notice to his slip in words but something in him didn't really mind if she did and the sweet smile on her face proved to Cloud that she didn't mind, either.

"Let's get outta here before more of them find us." Cloud said.

The two continued down the road until they came to a gate that lead to sector 7. Aerith stopped; "Here we are. The gate ahead will lead you to sector 7." Cloud couldn't help but notice her happy tone now sounded heavy with dissappointment.

Aerith slowly walked past Cloud, hoping he would say something. But, nothing. Cloud knew she had to go but he couldn't just let her leave after what she did for him earlier without even so much as a goodbye. She had not only let him stay in her house but also cured him without materia. He couldn't just let her walk back alone. She could get hurt... She already almost got hurt three times. However, he remembered what her mother told him the night before. And of course, Cloud again realized it'd be better for Aerith if she was as far away from him as possible.

"Aerith," she turned to him and their eyes locked. "Thanks…I guess this is goodbye…"

Aerith hid her hands behind her back and looked to the floor. Her silence bothered him so he spoke again, hoping she would say something to him. "Will you be all right going home by yourself?" Cloud's voice was softer than usual. He knew he had to tell her to leave but he felt bad for having to do it, especially after getting to know her.

Aerith covered her forehead with the back of her hand and dramatically exclaimed; "Oh, no! Whatever will I do?" She was obviously teasing his concern and Cloud couldn't help but let a sigh escape him. He wasn't exactly fond of showing concern for just anyone.

"It's okay, Bodyguard—I'm a slum girl. I'm use to the people on these streets. I'll be just fine." She turned to leave but paused to look back at Cloud and added; "If you ever want that date, you know where to find me." Another flirty smile spread on her face and she turned to leave. Cloud felt her flirty comment pierce through his heart as his knees slightly buckled at the sight of her smile, both feelings he couldn't help but enjoy.

As she continued to walk down the street Cloud racked his brain for what he should do. "_Should I just let her walk off?" _He looked to the floor then back at Aerith's figure. She was getting farther away. "_she could get hurt-but her mom said to leave her alone…_ " He looked back at Aerith and thought again. She had been so kind to him. Letting him stay in her house when he was a complete stranger, showing him the way to sector seven for nothing at all, and then she healed him when he was hurt.

He moved an inch forward to go after her but stopped and remembered how sweet she had been to him, too. The way she always smiled no matter what, the way she playfully teased him. Plus, he couldn't forget that she _did_ owe him a date after all. "_It'd be a little hard to get my payment if she's not around— and what if people hear about this? I'll have to do jobs for free._" Cloud had found one more excuse to use in order to keep her around. But once again, he knew he didn't want her to get hurt. "_She can't get hurt if I protect her, though_" Cloud reassured himself. He thought it over one last time and recalled how she was able to make him laugh. He looked to the floor, than back at Aerith. He came to his conclusion; "_Screw it—_"

Cloud quickly ran to Aerith's side, pulling her by the wrist to make her look at him; "Look, I'm not going to let you head through that highway by yourself. It's way too dangerous for you. So I'm asking you to come with me…_if you want to_."

"Won't I be in your way?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow; "What do you mean in the way?"Aerith saw the honest confusion in his eyes and shook her head, "Never mind." She was happy he asked her to come along, she couldn't help but smile; "Can we take a break, though?"

Cloud scratched his head; it was pretty early and he had some time to burn. He nodded and led Aerith a little ahead. They were in an old park.

"Wow… I can't believe its still here." Aerith skipped to a large moogle-shaped children's slide and climbed to the top and kneeled down. "Cloud, up here!" she shouted.

Cloud quickly thought it over. Here they were alone in a place most used for dating. "_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea... Her mom would be pissed if she found out—_"he quickly looked up at a smiling Aerith and he was, once again, captivated;_"Since when do I follow rules?_" Cloud told himself with a weak smirk. He quickly climbed the slide and sat beside her, his arm directly behind her back. Only a few seconds went by before Aerith spoke; "What rank were you?"

"Rank?" Cloud repeated.

"You know, in Soldier."

Cloud felt a stab of pain in his head and his vision went white for a few seconds, he suddenly knew what she meant; "I was first class."

"Just the same as him." Cloud turned his body to look at her; "The same as who?"

"My first boyfriend."

Cloud adjusted himself and swallowed; "You were…" he paused, "…serious?"

Aerith sighed, "No. But I liked him for a while." Cloud crossed his arms, feeling a small pinprick of jealousy nip at him as he thought that she was still probably not over this guy. _"…Figures…_" he sighed and reluctantly asked; "What was his name?" Aerith shook her head as she looked to her lap, "It doesn't really matter." Cloud had to admit, he was relieved to hear her say that.

"Okay…so what did he do then?"

"I'm not sure what you mean?" Aerith tilted her head to the side.

"He _obviously_ did something for you to break up with him…so what was it?"

Aerith shrugged her shoulders and wrapped her arms around herself; "Nothing really… just a ladies man." Cloud suddenly knew what had happened, the saddened look in her eyes made it very clear. "_He left her for someone else…_"

After gazing at her for a second Cloud murmured; "_He's an idiot_." Causing Aerith to abruptly look at him; "Wh…?"

"He's an idiot for doing that to you."

Aerith smiled at his remark and nudged his shoulder with hers; "I bet you say that to all the girls…" A weak smirk spread on Cloud's face and he slowly shook his head; "You're the first…" She slowly turned her gaze to lock with his as Cloud brought his hand to her cheek, brushing away a small spot of dirt.

Their eyes were locked for a moment and Cloud felt himself being pulled to capture her mouth in a kiss. Slowly, Cloud brought his face lower to hers until they were just a lips distance apart. Just as his mouth was about to capture hers, she shifted her head away from Cloud and stared at the sector 7 gateway directly behind them. Cloud was taken aback that their moment was stopped, but he followed her view and saw a chocobo drawn carriage turning down the road. A woman was in the back.

"What the hell?" Cloud stood and watched the carriage leave the area. He recognized the scantly clad woman in the back. "What is Tifa doing…?" Cloud's tone fell silent as he tried to think of any reason Tifa would be doing this.

Aerith rose and stood next to Cloud; "THAT was Tifa… But where was she going dressed so… _weirdly_?"

Dismissing any curious thoughts, Aerith quickly climbed back down the slide and ran in the direction of the carriage so quickly Cloud didn't have time to stop her.

"Aerith! Wait! I'll go by myself!" But it was too late, she was already gone. Cloud shook his head; "…this isn't good…" he quickly jumped off the slide and chased after the flowergirl. He had already disobeyed her mother by bringing her along this far but now he had to realize he was attracted to her more than he thought.

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><p><em><span>Author's notes:<span>_ _A million sorries that it is taking me so long. But I sadly lost all 10 other chapters a few days after my last update to a terrible virus. My writing was completely lost. I was able to update everyday because I had those chapters already written out... and now, as you can see, I have to rewrite the chapters. I am writing with haste to get these finished being written. but instead of every day (like I had planned) I have to release one every week or so. I am so sorry again. Thank you for all the reviews and adds to favs. I never thought in a million years I would be so lucky to have so many great readers._


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